


Kidnapped?!

by RussianSunflower3



Series: Sunflower's WHUMPTOBER 2018 [7]
Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Best friends set out a rescue mission, Chapters get progressively longer, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Kidnapped, Natsume Takashi Protection Squad, Whumptober 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-27 10:47:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16217450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RussianSunflower3/pseuds/RussianSunflower3
Summary: Natsume went home not feeling too great on Friday.In the waking hours of Monday morning, Nishimura learns one of his best friends never made it home.So he does what any reckless best friend does. He assembles a rescue squad.





	1. Nishimura finds out. (Prologue)

Sunday’s were the best days, in Nishimura’s opinion. Wednesday and Saturday were good too, because they were only half-days, but Sunday was the only day of the week with _no school_!! A whole day to lounge around for personal time, or hang out with friends.

And this particular Sunday, Kitamoto had been dragged to the city by his parents, Natsume hadn’t responded to his texts but was probably exploring the forests, Tanuma had said something about his dad, and Taki and Sasada had gone shopping.

Therefore, Nishimura had spent the whole day inside, reading comics and eating snacks in the sunbeams filtering through his window. When the light died, Nishimura made the decision to turn in early. He had school tomorrow, after all.

His sleep is disturbed in the early morning, when there are still stars in the sky and a chilly draught through the house.

The house phone is ringing. He groans as he curls up tighter under his duvet, building up the courage to brave the cold, and slowly trudges down the stairs. He’s not the first one, his mother gets there first.

“Hello…? Fujiwara-san? No… No, I haven’t seen him… I’m sorry. Yes, I’ll ask him. Let me just- Oh, Satoru, good timing.” She lowers the phone slightly, holding it against her shoulder and speaking quietly, as if she doesn’t want the person on the other end to hear what she’s saying.

Nishimura can hear the sobs through the receiver, and if it’s Fujiwara-san… His eyes are wide and apprehensive, and he can feel fear inkling into his heart, twisting his stomach.

“Natsume…?” His voice must be quiet, terrified, because his mother’s face softens and she pauses to consider her words.

“Satoru, when did you last see Natsume?”

“Friday, at school. We- He wasn’t feeling good, so he went home whilst the rest of us when to the bakery… Is he- Is he okay?”

“... He said he was going home? To the Fujiwara’s home?” Nishimura nods, and he can feel his heart sinking further and breathing getting shallow as his mother relays the information to Touko over the phone, apologises, and then hangs up. Then, she places her hands gently on Nishimura’s shoulders.

“If he’s at school tomorrow, Satoru, text me _immediately_ , okay? The Fujiwara’s are frantic.”

“Wait- what? _What_? Why are they calling here? Why are you asking me these things? Why-... Where…?” In the back of his mind, Nishimura knows. 

But that doesn’t stop him bursting into tears when his mother explains that Natsume never made it home Friday night.


	2. A yokai appears.

Monday is a quiet affair. 

Nishimura _knows_ it’s the same day as a few hours ago, but the entire atmosphere has shifted. He feels exhausted, even though he’s slept well. He feels dizzy and has a headache, and he knows that hollow feeling in his chest isn’t a medical condition.

Because Natsume is missing.

A full hour early, Nishimura trudges through the empty corridors and slides open the door to his classroom. He isn’t alone. Sitting around Natsume’s desk are all their friends. Kitamoto stares blankly at Natsume’s empty desk, as if that will bring him back. Sasada has a book open on her desk, but doesn’t seem to be reading.

Tanuma and Taki sit a little away from everyone else, murmuring quietly between themselves. When Nishimura steps into the room, all eyes turn to him, painful, hesitant smiles sent his way. Nishimura can’t find the energy to smile back, instead speaking the question that’s been on his mind since getting the news.

“What are we doing about Natsume?” There’s a couple of flinches. Taki and Tanuma look away awkwardly, like they’ve already planned to do something and weren’t going to share, and Kitamoto looks resigned, shaking his head.

“What _can_ we do, Nishimura? We should leave this to the police.” Quietly, Tanuma pips up, adding onto Kitamoto’s sentence.

“They’ve already cordoned off a large section of road where they think he was taken… We can’t access it to investigate ourselves.”

“It’s strange, I would have expected Natsume to take the rural path like he always does.” The point Taki makes hangs in the air, until Sasada whips around in her chair, pushing up her glasses.

“So what changed? What made Natsume walk a different route?” With a deep sigh, Kitamoto runs his hands over his face, and Nishimura is instantly by his side, pulling out the chair next to him to sit down, and putting a hand on his back. Because of this, he misses the glance Taki and Tanuma send each other.

“I think…” Tanuma starts out carefully, but trails off until Sasada nods at him in encouragement.

“I think the first step to finding Natsume is to find Ponta.”

“... You mean that round pig-cat thing that’s always following him?” Tanuma nods, just the slightest incline, and Taki almost bounces in her seat, like she’s about to bolt out the door. They have a solid plan, even if that plan is just ‘find the cat’.

“What are we waiting for?! Let’s go!” Before Nishimura can bolt out the classroom door, Kitamoto grabs his wrist, with a tiny, but genuine smile.

“Hold on. We’ve got the whole day to get through yet~.” 

“Are you seriously gonna be able to focus? ‘Cus I’m not, and I definitely don’t care as much for school as I do for Natsume.” Pushing his chair out from the desk, Kitamoto gives Nishimura’s wrist a squeeze as he stands too.

“Good point. I’m coming too.” In unison, Taki and Tanuma pick up their own bags, slinging them over their shoulders and nodding to indicate they’ll join the search. When Nishimura looks to Sasada, she shakes her head, subdued.

“Someone needs to explain why you aren’t here. And… Well… You four have always been closer to Natsume than I have.”

“Thank you, Sasada.” The group flees the empty corridors before teachers can appear, jogging across the courtyard and down the street, wondering, is this where Natsume walked too? Eventually, the reach a fork in the road. One leads along the high street, taking the shorter route to the Fujiwara’s.

But the path Natsume always takes is the other, the long and winding dirt road past the forest, where fields of different flowers bloom and butterflies dance in daylight whilst the silver moon reflects on the rivers that feed irrigation systems. It’s the quiet path, and the one Natsume _always_ takes.

But this is not where the police believe he went missing.

“Tanuma, Kitamoto, I think you two should take one path whilst Nishimura and I take the other.” Any other time, Nishimura would have been delighted at alone time with Taki. But there is a time and a place, and this is neither. 

Tanuma pauses for a long minute, and nods. Both he and Taki are aware that Natsume’s _‘cat’_ is actually a Yokai that can talk. If one of them is by the forested fields, and the other by the road, they have more chance of Nyanko-Sensei giving them information only a witness could.

Taki had been convinced that Natsume had been caught out by, or at least caught _up_ with, a powerful Yokai, maybe even a God. Tanuma preferred to think he had just lost track of time again, but a whole weekend missing was pushing it.

“Ponta! Pooonta!” Tanuma calls out as loud as he can, not caring if people are giving him strange looks. Nishimura is further down the road calling for ‘pig-cat’, and is getting much stranger looks with his deafening volume.

Tanuma calls and calls until his throat is sore and his voice is croaky, and he’s on the verge of giving up. But as he slumps in defeat on the pavement, Nishimura currently going to get drinks for them in the convenience store, Tanuma hears it.

The pitter-patter of heavy paws coming closer, a sure sign that the animal heading his way is much bigger than it appears. It’s Nyanko-Sensei.

“Ponta!” The cat barrels into his stomach with an angry meow, knocking the air out his lungs before it sits on his lap, waving an angry paw right in Tanuma’s face.

“Where have you been?! Useless humans!” Tanuma really doesn’t have time for complaints, picking Nyanko-Sensei up to eye-level. He looks _terrible_ , burnt and scratched and limping...

“Who took him, Ponta?! Which Yokai took Natsume?!” Sharp eyes narrow at him, a hint of worry.

“It wasn’t a Yokai.”

“... What?”

“There was no Yokai. Natsume was taken by _humans_.”


	3. Nyanko-Sensei reveals all.

Giving a name back to a Yokai at lunch was a mistake. A _huge_ mistake. Natsume had presumed, that because the Yokai had been incredibly tiny, only the size of an acorn, that he would only be left slightly tired.

Turns out, the little acorn Yokai had been a deity of Autumn’s colours, and Natsume had been absolutely _drained_ , staggering back to the classroom to slump over his desk. His eyes fluttered shut to the beat of his pounding headache.

“Natsume! _Natsume_! Oiiiii, Sensei will be here in a second!” Peeling them open with a quiet sigh, Natsume isn’t surprised that his vision is blurred and his eyes sting and his stomach twists. Giving back names to Gods usually made him pretty sick.

“Natsume? Y’okay?” Nishimura’s concerned face comes into focus, leaning over the space between their desks to place a hand on Natsume’s forehead. Natsume gently bats it away, but Nishimura turns to Kitamoto.

“He’s kinda clammy. Should we take him to the nurse?” 

“Maybe we should wait for Sensei-”

“I’m fine.” Natsume’s tongue feels heavy in his mouth and his head is throbbing, but he manages to deliver the words with conviction, a small smile on his face. Kitamoto and Nishimura knows it’s fake. They can see straight through him.

“I’m _fine_.” He insists, and the two share a glance of caution before settling back into their seats. Natsume is well aware they keep glancing at him throughout the lesson, but the headache is slowly receding and he’s not on the verge of passing out anymore.

When the bell rings, Natsume is able to stand without feeling dizzy and sighs in relief. He follows the others out the building as they chatter, making their way to the courtyard to meet with Taki and Tanuma. 

It’s just as they’re by the bike racks that Kitamoto wraps his hand around Natsume’s wrist.

“You still don’t look well. Are you feeling okay?” Natsume huffs in amusement.

“I’m fine, just a headache.” Nishimura and Kitamoto exchange _another_ concerned glance, Kitamoto moving to fold his arms whilst Nishimura puts his hands on his hips with a stern expression.

“Go home and rest, Natsume!”

“But… The bakery…” 

“Nishimura’s right. The last time it was ‘just a headache’, you ended up almost at the hospital. Even your _cat_ was worried.” Natsume’s face twists at that, and Kitamoto can’t hold back a chuckle whilst Nishimura openly laughs. The laughter fades though, and Nishimura gently knocks his knuckles against Natsume’s chest.

“Seriously though. Go rest and get better. We’ll do another bakery trip when you’re better!” Natsume lingers hesitantly, before a tiny, gentle smile breaks out, shyly averting his eyes to the ground.

“Okay. Another time.” As Natsume walks off, waving goodbye, Nishimura cups his hands around his mouth.

“And take tomorrow off too!” They watch as Natsume walks away, stopping briefly by Taki and Tanuma to explain… Something, and his fat cat appears at his feet, swatting at him before settling in Natsume’s arms.

Natsume scowls as he carries Nyanko-Sensei away, glancing around to make sure no one else is around before he starts talking to the cat.

“Was that really _necessary_ , Sensei?” Nyanko swats him again, his paws thudding on Natsume’s cheeks, ignoring the surge of irritation coming from his ‘prey’.

“You gave away another name, didn’t you?! By the time I get that book, there’s going to be nothing left!” 

“You’ve said.”

“Impudent brat… So disrespectful! You owe me a meat bun!” On a normal day, Natsume would tap Nyanko’s nose and chide him for being so demanding, but he’s really not in the mood to start an argument. He’s tired, his head hurts, and he’d quite like to go home and nap.

“Fine.” Nyanko’s ear twitches and his eyes narrow. He knows returning a name leaves Natsume tired, but he seems completely exhausted. A little pale, too… Either the Yokai was extremely powerful, or Natsume had been getting sick beforehand.

That would explain his bad judgement at returning a name during school time.

“You’re only getting one though. Last time you ate _six_ and complained about your stomach ache for an hour.”

“Buh!” Natsume hushes up again as they walk into the store, not wanting people to see him talking to his cat. He was already the weird one, he didn’t want to be labelled completely mad and ostracised again. 

He orders the meat buns, stands around waiting, and pays, walking out in somewhat of a daze. The combination of tiredness and the lure of the shop’s warmth had cloaked his senses, almost putting him in a trance. He just wants to _nap_.

“Natsume, give me it!” 

“Ah, okay…” He goes to give Nyanko the meat bun until he realises something. He’s not holding it. He’d paid and _left it on the counter_. A little bit of colour floods his cheeks as he blushes with shame, and his silence is telling.

“You forgot!?”

“I… Forgot…”

“Tch! Wait here, useless human. _I’ll_ get them.” Nyanko hops out his arms and Natsume sits on a bench to wait for his loyal companion to return, head lolling and eyes straining to stay awake. 

A van pulls up in the road in front of him, dirty and white, and he just assumes it must be a delivery van for one of the stores along the main road. He closes his eyes, mistakenly trusting himself to open them again.

A happy Nyanko trots out of the store with the paper bag in his mouth, the grease already staining the bottom. It smells _amazing_ , and the only reason he hasn’t eaten yet is because it would be even better paired with sake. 

He drops the bag as he watches two men pick up a blanket wrapped bundle from a bench, slinging it into the back of the van. Natsume had been on that bench. The bundle had shouted out in pain before the van door was slammed and bolted shut.

_Natsume was inside that blanket_. 

“Natsumeeeee!” Abandoning the meat bun for something much more important, Nyanko shifts into his Yokai form, leaping into the air and racing the wind to keep up with the van as it speeds along the winding roads.

Madara growls as he follows, and as they cross a certain point, his fur starts burning and it’s like he’s on fire and he has to turn back. The van has driven through an area with wards strong enough to keep all but Gods away.

He can’t follow Natsume, nor the humans that kidnapped him anymore.

Collapsing to the ground in a pile of burning white fur and charred paws, Madara loses his form and returns to his Nyanko state, shaking his ear frantically to get ash out of them. He’s sore and burnt all over. Whoever sealed this place was an excellent exorcist…

But as well as harming Yokai, they may have just condemned the fate of a human child.

“... Stupid humans… Stupid _brat_...” There’s only one thing Nyanko can think of. What better way to save a brat than with more brats? And _his_ brat had plenty of others, including two that knew he could speak.

Wounded and limping, Nyanko begins the long waddle back towards the town, to get help for his kidnapped boy.


	4. Rescue squad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: A little bit of swearing in the chapter from the captors, just in case you're uncomfortable with that!

Four children sprint along country roads and winding paths, leaping over debris from where fences have been crashed through, and weaving around hedges that have been run over. Nyanko had been left at the point where the spirit barrier began, Tanuma coming up with the excuse the the cat must not know the way from here.

It’s easy to see, though. Once the van had left the path, it left a trail of destruction that was easy to follow. Nishimura sprints ahead of the rest, his fierce loyalty and determination driving him forwards. Natsume was his _friend_ , and Nishimura would fight anything and everything for his friends.

Kitamoto keeps pace, long legs and high stamina helping him through the shrubbery. Taki follows behind him, having removed her school shoes since they kept slipping off anyways. Lacking behind was Tanuma.

He wasn’t athletic in the slightest, and since he was frequently pale and sickly, he didn’t have much stamina or endurance at all. Breathing hard, he leans against a tree to recover his breath. And that’s when he notices something.

“... Circles. We’ve been going in _circles_.” They’re following crushed thicket, but if he squints, looking in the distance, he can see broken fence they had passed through earlier.

“What?! What do you mean, Tanuma?!” Nishimura’s outburst is expected. He’s frantic and worried and this whole situation is completely out of their depth. Tanuma pushes himself off the tree to look in the distance of the opposite direction, spotting a telling scrape along the bark of a tree.

“Not- Not circles so much as a _spiral_... We can save time by cutting straight through to the middle.”

“Oh thank _God_.” Kitamoto breathes heavily, but he’s ready to go again, stretching out his legs to keep running. Taki glances back and forth between the broken tracks.

“They must have done it to throw off police dogs that track the scent of the tires… Give themselves more time to escape…”

“Well, it’s not going to work! We’re going to _catch_ them, and save Natsume!” Nishimura’s cheer might sound happy, but it’s thick with concern. He’s _terrified_ this might not work. That they’re out of their depth.

Natsume has been kidnapped, and they don’t know if they can save them. Taki brushes her hands over her skirt and starts walking towards the centre of the spiral.

“We don’t have time to waste. Let’s go.” A pillar of strength, she leads the three weary, exhausted boys through the undergrowth, all of them grubby with holes in their clothes where thorns have ripped at them.

A uniform can be replaced. Natsume can’t. 

Where the spiral suddenly stops without a centre, there’s a lake. It’s not too large, not too deep, but it’s enough to stop them following the trail. The van must have gotten on the once-every-three-days transport ferry, taken across to the other side. It would have come at 8 this morning.

It’s the only way across without trespassing on the private land either side of the lake, and it explains the remnants of camping equipment they’d passed. The van had been here two days, waiting for the ferry. Natsume had been here, within reach, just this morning.

“How- How are we supposed to cross a _lake_?” Nishimura frets, Taki drops onto the shore of the lake in defeat, and Tanuma paces up and down, as if searching for someone who could help them. Kitamoto, strangely relaxed, heads back into the thick of the forest. He find what he’s looking for.

“Hey! Over here!” He calls from the forest, rallying the others towards him. Where he stands, there’s a fallen log, a trunk of a tree that had been split in half by lightning. It hasn’t decomposed yet, making it perfect for floating across.

“We can use some branches as oars and paddle across. It won’t be fast, but it’s the quickest way I can think of.” Nishimura doesn’t hesitate to start trying to drag it from the front, uncaring for any blisters or splinters he might pick up. 

With a nod of conviction, Kitamoto stands behind a branch on the side and pushes forwards, Tanuma quickly moving to other side to balance out the force. From behind the trunk, Taki pushes, her back to the log and heels pushing against the forest floor. 

The trunk budges, but it’s not enough.

All four of them put their backs and hearts and souls into it, pushing the tree with all their strength, but it only moves inch by inch. The van could be far enough away that they’ll never catch up to it.

Before they can give up, however, Tanuma spots leaves rustling, and what might be a slow flicker of movement. It’s large, incredibly so, and suddenly, the entire log lurches and rolls to the shore of the lake.

Taki rolls over backwards as the thing she was leaning against is suddenly gone, but Kitamoto helps her to her feet and they jog after Nishimura, who has chased after the log with a victory cry. Panting, Tanuma looks to the disturbed fallen leaves, and the few still being knocked from the branches above. He nods respectfully.

“Thank you.” There’s no time to waste, so with a quick waist-deep bow, Tanuma follows the skid marks of the log, joining the others in easing it into the water, Kitamoto having grabbed some fallen branches to act as oars.

There’s no guarantee it’s going to work. But it’s all they have.

“The school have probably told our parents that we skipped by now, so we’d better hurry.” The edge of the lake laps at the log, and the water lifts it up, bobbing along slowly. Nishimura whines.

“My mother is gonna _kill_ me… I’ll be doing chores for the rest of my life!” Taki gives him a foot up onto the log with a small huff of amusement.

“It would counter-productive for her to kill you, then~.”

“... Yeah, good point. I’ll just be on house arrest. You’ll all come visit me, right?” Settling behind him on the log, Kitamoto gently swats the back of his shoulder.

“You don’t even have to ask, dummy. We’ll all be there. We’d bring enough snacks to feed an army, though Natsume’s fat cat will probably eat them all again, and then he’ll get irritated and they’ll start chasing each other~...” Kitamoto trails off, the small smile on his face reminiscent but sad.

“I... Want moments like those to last forever.” Nishimura leans back against him, almost comfortingly, before he jolts upwards to intentionally headbutt his chin.

“Then stop daydreaming and start rowing! We’re getting Natsume back, one way or another!”

“Did you just _headbutt_ me, you little-?!” The log jolts, and Tanuma has to catch Taki before she falls sideways, dragged back by the force of the water against her ‘oar’. Glancing behind him, Tanuma can just about see the crest of the water, much wider than the log should be.

He leans to whisper in Taki’s ear.

“There’s a Yokai helping us. I think it must be a God, going by what Ponta was saying about the seals on this area…” Taki inhales slowly with audible realisation. Whilst he has not taken a human form, she _knows_ these mountains. Knows the river that feeds this lake.

“Kai… Kai, thank you.” Tanuma hears a soft giggle on the wind, like that of a human child, and then the log is given one last push to cross the lake, coming to such a halt on the other side of the lake that Nishimura is thrown off the front, into the sand. He sits up and shakes it off, making a face at how the sand clings to the wet bottoms of his trouser legs and shoes.

“I think I preferred the stone shore.”

“Shh!” Kitamoto’s hand is suddenly over his mouth, dragging him into the bushes, and Nishimura is about to protest when he _sees it_. The van, doors open, in a small clearing. 

He can feel his heart thumping in his chest. He can hear Kitamoto’s. He can see Taki clenching her skirt in balled fists, and Tanuma lying flat on the ground in apprehension. They’ve come this far, but now that they’re here…

What are they supposed to do? They’re just- They’re just _kids_!

They can’t fight, they can’t arrest anyone, they can’t stop the van or-

Oh. Nishimura grins underneath the hand covering his mouth. They _can_ stop the van, with a simple trick his uncle taught him. He unthreads his shoelaces, kicking them off now they’re squelchy and horrible, and wriggles away from Kitamoto.

“What are you _doing_?!” He ignores the hissed whisper, crawling through the bushes until he’s near the front of the van. There’s nobody around, so he creeps forwards, squeezing himself underneath it.

With one shoelace, he wraps it around the hot wiring into the amp, and tugs it out. The other shoelace, he ties around the fuel line. It’s not as effective as a kill switch, but this van won’t be going anywhere. Snickering, he wriggles out, darting back into the bushes just in time as they hear voices approach.

“Keep walking! Can’t believe you _bit_ me. Fuckin’ animal, I’ll be glad t’ get rid of you!” Natsume is shoved into the clearing, tied up by rope and being dragged by one man, pushed by the other. His cheek is bruised and inflamed, and he’s covered in scuff marks, but he glares at the man who shoved him with a fire and _hatred_ his friends haven’t seen before.

“You _would_ have been rid of me if you hadn’t dragged me back.” He’s shoved again, grunting with the pain as he stumbled over his feet and hits the ground hard, arms bound to his sides. The man in front continues to drag him along the floor, and speaks with a chilling tone.

“Next time you say you need the toilet, you can just piss yourself. We can’t be losing good money, now.” The realisation hits his friends all at once. They’re going to _sell_ Natsume. These people aren’t just kidnappers, they’re human traffickers. 

Natsume’s face scrunches up an angry kind of disgust as he’s grabbed by the collar and tugged upwards, tossed into the van. He manages to kick one of the men in the stomach, but then the doors are slammed shut. 

“... We have to do it. We have to save him _now_. This is the only chance we have.” Nishimura nods enthusiastically at Tanuma’s whisper, but he doesn’t make to leap up.

“Two of us need to go. One to open the doors, one to haul Natsume out. The other two need to get on the log and row it out far enough that the van can’t follow.”

“I’ll open the doors. I’m fastest.” Taki ties up her hair with a spare band she keeps around her wrist, face shadowed with determination. Besides Nishimura, Kitamoto swallows down his fear. 

“I’ll grab Natsume. You two sort out the log.” Tanuma and Nishimura whisper back their approval, slowly creeping backwards on their bellies to avoid being spotted, and head to the shore. Nishimura pauses to tap Taki’s ankle.

“Wait until the engine stutters, then run like you’ve never run before.” Nodding with determination, adrenaline fuelling her veins, Taki gets into position like she’s about to sprint a race.

Technically she is, but this is against _time_ , and it’s all over if she loses. 

The two men get into the front seat of the van, and Taki closes her eyes to listen. Silence. The jingle of keys. Water lapping at the shore of the lake. _The engine spluttering and shorting out._

Taki pushes off from her starting position, breaking through the bushes and sprinting over to the van doors, yanking them open so quickly, and with such strength, that it actually hurts her arm. Natsume blinks at her with stunned surprise, but he doesn’t even have time to say her name before Kitamoto is there, heaving Natsume up over his shoulder like a potato sack, and then they’re running back towards the lake.

“Oi! Oi, you fucking-!!! Get back here!” One of the men manages to get out the door of his van quick enough to chase them, but as he grabs for Kitamoto, a strong wind pushes him back, and Kitamoto wades into the lake to catch up with the log, Taki having just reached it.

“Next time, Kai, we’ll bring something good as thanks. I promise.” 

“Taki? Who’re talking to?” She smiles cryptically at Nishimura, waving a hand in dismissal.

“Just thankful that we got away.” 

“We’re not safe yet. Let’s go.” Kitamoto hauls himself up on the log, having helping push Natsume up on it with Tanuma’s help, pulling him up. He grabs an ‘oar’ and starts paddling like their lives depend on it. Nishimura does the same, and Taki starts to undo the ropes tying Natsume up. He seems like he’s finally starting to process what just happened.

“You-?! What are you all doing here?! It’s dangerous! You could have gotten hurt-!” 

“Natsume.”

“You should have left it to the police, I was fine, I could’ve gotten out alone-!”

“ _Natsume._ ”

“You could’ve gotten yourselves _killed_ , what good would that do?!”

“Natsume!” He breaks off with a hiccup, eyes wide open and filling with tears and Tanuma worriedly grabs both his shoulders with firm, but caring hands.

“You’re okay now, Natsume. We’ve got you.” Another hiccup. Natsume’s lip wobbles and the first tear falls out. Taki twists from where she’s sitting to rub his back and Kitamoto gives him a thumbs up from behind Tanuma, Nishimura leaning over Taki to ruffle his hair.

The lake echoes with the wails of a child who had just experienced intense fear and heartache, safe in the arms of the people who care about him most.

By the time they reach the opposite shore, not only do police swarm the pebbles, but a police boat speeds across the water to the man who had given chase. Natsume sniffles and wipes his eyes on his sleeve as a blanket is wrapped around him by a very kind police officer, who goes to fetch him some calming tea.

“So… We can hug it out now, right?” Nishimura opens his arms with a cheeky grin, and Natsume reflects it with a tiny smile of his own, and a nod. He finds himself surrounded on all sides, squeezed comfortingly and warmly. 

“Takashi…? Takashi!” Pushing through swarms of police and journalists, Touko and Shigeru run towards him frantically. Natsume tears up again, because he can’t remember the last time he was cared for so deeply.

He doesn’t remember if he’s ever felt this happy before, even when he was still scared of what could have happened, angry that it had happened to him, and upset from all that time just being _tormented_ , told what they were going to do and called names, pushed around just like kids had when he was younger, before he hid his yokai world.

His friends step away, Kitamoto giving him a small, encouraging push forwards, and Natsume abandons the blanket to run towards Touko and Shigeru. Towards his _family_.

He cries in their arms, unashamed of his vulnerability, and lets them fuss over him in return, tears of their own spilling as they’re reunited with the boy who means so much to them. Natsume feels at home in their arms, and he’s glad the kidnapping was only successful to a point.

His wariness of being kidnapped by Yokai had made him forget the dangers of humans. But he has learnt kindness, and love, and he knows he can’t label an entire species for the handful that ruin it.

For Natsume, the rest of the day is a blur. He’s taken to a hospital for a checkover, and then a police station for questioning, and then home, where he’s reunited with Nyanko-Sensei. Touko busies about, making up food galore to feed him after he’s had nothing but scraps for three days, and Shigeru tucks him into his futon to let him rest after his ordeal.

Even though it’s only the late afternoon, Natsume is exhausted. He can feel his eyelids fluttering closed as Shigeru gently runs a hand through his hair, sitting cross-legged besides his futon. The door to his room slides open and Touko enters, her tension wobbling into a smile at the soft scene.

“I’ll heat it up for you later. Goodnight, Takashi~.” Shigeru gets up to leave, and Natsume just about mumbles a goodnight before the sliding door is closed with well wishes. In the quiet, Nyanko huffs.

“You _would_ go and get yourself into this kind of trouble.”

“Sorry…” His voice is small and exhausted, and Nyanko sighs, taking pity on his charge.

“I’ll inform the small Yokai. They were making such a ruckus, I couldn't drink sake in peace…” Natsume knows that’s a lie. He knows Nyanko was searching for him too, was finding help after being so injured from the barrier. He knows the Yokai that is always by his side cares deeply about him.

Nyanko makes to hop up onto the windowsill, but arms wrap around him, pulling him in close and he can feel Natsume’s quickened heartbeat, damp face shoved into his fur.

“Don’t go! Please don’t… Don’t go… I don’t want to be alone… I don’t want them to- to take me again…” Nyanko pauses. He sighs. With a puff of cloud, he takes on his Madara form, and wraps himself around Natsume, fox-like muzzle resting besides his head and long, fluffy tail draped over his body.

“Goodness, human boy. Whatever am I going to do with you…?” But his words are gentle, as is the way he uses his nose to push Natsume deeper into his fur, some patches still scorched, and uses his fangs to tug the futon blankets up higher.

Natsume is already fast asleep, worn out from all his emotions, and the stress of being kidnapped. It’s going to take a while for him to feel safe in the town again, and he certainly won’t be going around alone for a long time, but Madara knows Natsume will get there.

He’s Natsume, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Natsume Yuujinchou fanfiction~!  
> I hope it's okay!
> 
> Please kudos and comment~.


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